Howard, Betley shine in Penn men's basketball's loss to Saint Joseph's

Penn men’s basketball was never out of the fight against St. Joseph’s. The players lasted the full twelve rounds. The two squads traded blows pretty evenly. But Penn always seemed to be the team up against the ropes, never able to throw that haymaker, and it showed on the scoreboard in a 78-71 loss.

A lack of depth doomed the Quakers, as the supporting class was mostly unable to contribute at a level that would adequately complement the standout performances of this game. The game’s player ratings reflect the predominantly average games of most players while highlighting the aforementioned extraordinary performances.

STARTERS

Darnell Foreman, G - 7/10

Penn would’ve been much better off had the rest of the team’s supporting class replicated Foreman’s poise and patience. The junior guard seemed to always be in control, moving the ball crisply, grabbing big rebounds, and slashing in and out of the paint. His strong play is reflected by his statline, which consists of 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists in a game-high 35 minutes of action.

Caleb Wood, G - 5.5/10

Caleb Wood’s inability to knock down the open three pointer diminished his performance in this game and rightly overshadowed some of his finer moments. The junior guard started strongly with a transition dunk and a couple of steals but ultimately only contributed five points on 2-8 shooting.

Matt Howard, G - 9/10

Howard’s performance in this game was so impressive that his 19 points and 12 rebounds fail to demonstrate just how impactful he was. The senior was the best player on the court for both teams, carrying Penn for long stretches during the first half. For a time, it appeared that he might be able to will the Quakers to victory, hitting timely threes, finishing through contact, and getting to the line. None of his buckets were gimmies, as he consistently had to weave through traffic only to be plastered to the floor as he was finishing. Unfortunately, his Herculean efforts were not rewarded with a victory.

Sam Jones, F - 5/10

Much like with Wood, Jones’ impact was hindered by his inability to do what he does best — hit open threes. He replicated his teammate’s 1-6 shooting from beyond the arc, and Penn suffered because of it.

AJ Brodeur, F - 6/10

The freshman phenom had a pedestrian outing by his lofty standards, scoring only eight points while battling foul trouble throughout. The size of St. Joseph’s clearly frustrated the star forward, as the paint was clogged all night long. At times, Brodeur disappeared with Penn largely focusing on generating points from the outside.

BENCH

Ryan Betley, G - 8.5/10

The freshman was an absolute beast, turning in the best performance of his short collegiate career. Coming off the bench, Betley scored 15 points in only 23 minutes. He spent most of the first half proving that he wasn’t just a catch-and-shoot player, getting opponents in the air with his pump fake and putting the ball on the floor to get to the rim. After St. Joe’s was forced to respect his ability to drive, the sharpshooter burned them from three-point land, knocking down three of his four attempts. All game long, Betley was the Robin to Howard’s Batman.

Jackson Donahue, G - 5/10

Although energetic and active on the defensive end, the sophomore’s performance was largely defined by his inability to register a field goal in 13 minutes of action.

Devon Goodman, G - 5/10

The freshman played only six minutes and didn’t take a shot. He looked as fast as ever on both ends of the floor, but with Foreman playing so well, Goodman was rarely needed.

Tyler Hamilton, G - 6.5/10

Aside from the impressive act of fouling out in only seven minutes, Hamilton’s performance was most notable for his disruptive presence on the defensive end. He drew a charge that kept momentum in Penn’s favor while the Quakers were making a late first half run, and he was constantly closing hard to shooters, adding difficulty to their shots.

Max Rothschild, F - 5.5/10

Like his teammates Donahue and Goodman, the forward was innocuous for most of the contest. He scored five points and added two rebounds, but he failed to leave a substantial impact on the game.